Skype questions

[elaine.e]

OH has just started a new contract in deepest, darkest Africa and phoning each other is a nightmare and very pricey too. However, he hasn't had any internet problems so far so we're going to try Skype. We'll only be using it to speak, not to look at each other

I didn't even know what it was until I googled it this morning, so I have a few questions.

Is the free download easy to do? I'm hoping to give it a go later today, but if it's going to be tricky I'll wait until my friend's husband is around and can help me.

Will Skype slow down my computer? It's quite slow already

Any suggestions/recommendations for headphones? I don't have any gadgets that need headphones, so know nothing about them.

Any other advise would also be welcome, please

[ollie nathan's mum]

I use skye all the time but I didn't download it myself, but I believe it is easy to do. You should'nt need head phones and no it doesn't slow your computer down. There is a company called telestunt that I use for international calls, look it up your calls will be much cheaper. The price of the calls goes onto your normal bill. There is no catch and is is safe and legal to use.   

[Robbie34]

Skype is a very easy download and set up.  You do need a fast connection though and the quality is excellent.

If you don't have a built in camera you can get one quite cheaply from Tesco.

[elaine.e]

Thanks ollie nathan's mum for the heads up on telestunt, but they don't host calls to where OH is. He's in South Sudan, the world's newest country. It only became a separate country independent of Sudan in July and has only had it's own international dialling code for a few weeks  . At the moment the "cheap" calls to South Sudan are about 46p per minute.

Robbie34, I'm wondering if the connection speed where I live will be fast enough. It's not great, but I guess I'll only find out when I download Skype.

[siam]

I downloaded Skype yesterday and it was pretty straight forward. We don't have a particularly fast connection. My daughter lives in Manchester, just under 400 miles away so we don't see each other as often as we'd like, and she particularly wants me to put Alfie on the webcam for her!

[vixen]

Any suggestions/recommendations for headphones? I don't have any gadgets that need headphones, so know nothing about them.

Any other advise would also be welcome, please

I use Skype to chat to my daughters at university.  Sometimes I do have problems with the pictures and then we just talk.  
I have never found a need for headphones as the sound is acceptable.  
It is VERY easy to download.

[vixen]

Forgot to say before, but you can also use Skype like Messenger and type what you want to say as well. 

[Holly2009]

Hubby uses it for work everyday!

We used it when we went on holiday to Spain, I gave my mum & dad a walk around the villa using the webcam! Fab!

[janandted]

Hi Elaine, i use skype all the time in Spain....my laptop has no microphone    so i use a webcam bought from a supermarket. Like others have said it is very simple to download and set up....i did it myself and i am not very technical  I use it for skype to skype,ringing landlines and calling my daughter on her mobile phone  The calls are so cheap  It may have slowed my computer down a little but it,s no problem.....even in Spain where the wi-fi signal is quite weak.  Jan

[ollie nathan's mum]

I use Skye to talk to my daughter in New Zealand no problem

[seaangler]

As said...Skype is good providing the person you are going to talk to also has it..Simples..

Same if you use your webb cam on your computer talk and see at the same time.....

[JulieM]

We use it all the time, it's fantastic! Depending on your phone (I've got an iphone) you can download the app onto that and just use it using your phone rather than your computer (this is how I use it mainly). Like the others I wouldn't invest in equipment until you've tried it as you might find that your PC is good enough

South Sudan sounds exciting- we'd love to go there

[elaine.e]

Thanks for all the replies

I've downloaded Skype but I won't be able to test drive it until tomorrow as OH is on Central African Time, which is 3 hours ahead of us and he'll be asleep by now.

This is probably a really stupid question, but how do I actually talk to him through my computer? Does it have a microphone hidden away somewhere . Sorry, I just don't know. I have a feeling it might not because it's old, so does that mean I'll need to buy a webcam?

[janandted]

I think you probably will have to Elaine....do the microphone test on skype ,that will tell you 

[LottieLu]

It's brilliant Elaine. I'd imagine the degree to which it slows it down would be dependent on how powerful your computer is. Broadband speed might influence conection quality too but ours is pretty slow at times and we still manage Skype, with just the odd cut out mid call sometimes.

I've found Skype invaluable over the years. I have a son who works all over the world at various times and there is nothing as good as seeing someone's face and chatting as if they are in the room with you when you are worrying and missing them. Do you know if you have a camera on the computer? If not, and he's away a lot, maybe you could pick up a cheap laptop with one built in, well worth it I'd say. Good luck anyway Elaine. Once you have it sorted I guarantee you won't ever want to be without it.